US 5,296,998 AGranted

Lightning arrester for under-oil applications

AssigneeGeneral Electric Company

InventorsRonny D. Jergenson, Gary D. Davis

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Abstract

This lightning arrester includes (i) a tubular housing comprising a plurality of tubular sections disposed in telescoping aligned relationship to define an internal chamber and (ii) a stack of arrester elements located within this chamber. Locking means between adjacent telescoping sections holds the sections together in aligned relationship. Each locking means between adjacent sections comprises radially-projecting lugs on a telescoping portion of one of the sections and generally L-shaped slots in a telescoping portion of the other of the sections. The lugs fit into the slots and are displaced into locking portions of the slots by twisting motion of one of the adjacent sections relative to the other. In one embodiment, the housing sections are molded components of polymeric material and the lugs are also of polymeric material and are integral portions of the tubular housing on which the lugs are located.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A lightning arrester for use under oil, comprising:

(a) a generally vertically-extending tubular housing having upper and lower ends and comprising a tubular base section at said upper end, a tubular cap section at said lower end, and a tubular spacer section between said base and cap sections, said sections being disposed in substantially aligned relationship to define a generally vertically-extending internal chamber within said tubular housing,
(b) means for securing said base section to stationary structure independently of said spacer and cap sections,
(c) a stack of arrester elements and contacts at opposite ends of said stack located within said internal chamber, one of said contacts being a line contact having a normal location within said tubular base section,
(d) first locking means for holding said base section and said spacer section together in substantially aligned relationship,
(e) second locking means for holding said spacer section and said cap section together in substantially aligned relationship, and in which:
(f) said first locking means is substantially weaker than said second locking means in ability to resist separation of the tubular sections between which the respective locking means are located, whereby housing-rupturing pressure within said internal chamber resulting from an arrester failure causes separation of said spacer section from said base section while said spacer section remains locked to said cap section, and
(g) motion-limiting means is provided for holding said line contact within or immediately adjacent said tubular base section in the event of separation of said spacer section from said base section in response to a buildup of housing-rupturing pressure within said internal chamber.

4 more elements

A lighting arrester comprising:

(a) a tubular housing comprising a tubular base section at one end of said housing, a tubular cap section at an opposite end of said housing, and a tubular spacer section between said base and cap sections, said sections being disposed in substantially aligned relationship to define an internal chamber within said tubular housing,
(b) a stack of arrester elements located within said internal chamber,
(c) first locking means for holding said base section and said spacer section together in substantially aligned relationship,
(d) second locking means for holding said spacer section and said cap section together in substantially aligned relationship, and in which:
(e) said tubular spacer section and said tubular base section are disposed in telescoping relationship when held together by said first locking means, said first locking means comprises (i) generally radially- projecting lugs on a telescoping portion of one of said tubular base and spacer sections and (ii) generally L-shaped slots in a telescoping portion of the other of said tubular base and spacer sections, said lugs fit into said slots and are displaced into locking portions of said slots by twisting motion of one of said base and spacer sections relative to the other, and
(f) said tubular spacer section and said tubular cap section are disposed in telescoping relationship when held together by said second locking means, said second locking means comprises (i) generally radially-projecting lugs on a telescoping portion of one of said tubular spacer and cap sections and (ii) generally L-shaped slots in a telescoping portion of the other of said tubular spacer and cap sections, said latter lugs fit Into said latter slots and are displaced into locking portions of said latter slots by twisting motion of one of said spacer and cap sections relative to the other.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.